Holding Crucial Conversations - when stakes and emotions are high

I just completed the training course "Crucial Conversations" last week, and thoroughly enjoyed it! 

What did I learn?

- Get Unstuck: how to spot the conversations that are keeping us from results, and get unstuck with not only changing the content, but also address the recurring problem pattern and work on the relationship

- Start with Heart: how to stay focused on what I need to achieve, and focus on myself and my attitude first

- Learn to look: how to notice when safety in conversation is at risk, understand my style when I'm under stress, watch out for silence and violence in conversation

- Make it safe: how to establish a safe environement to encourage open and honest dialog, apologise when appropriate, use contrast sentences (ie. I do not mean this... and I do mean that...) to fix misunderstandings

- Master My Stories: How to stay in dialogue when I'm angry, scared or hurt, and separate facts from stories

- STATE my path: how to speak persuasively, not abrasively, share my facts, ask for others perspective, and talk tentatively

- Explore others' paths: how to listen when others blow up or clam up, establish common grounds through asking questions, mirroring, and paraphrasing

- Move to Action: how to turn crucial conversations into Action and results through concrete documentation and clear decision process

Patrick is already worried about me applying these crucial conversation techniques on him and the kids, but I think it will really improve the quality of our communication in the family!

Can't attend a training? then read the book...